The bill amends Section 10-12-43 of South Dakota law to modify the requirements for a petition to refer an excess tax levy of a school district to a vote. It allows the governing body of a school district to raise additional revenues for general fund purposes through an excess tax levy, which requires an affirmative two-thirds vote by the governing body before July 15 of the year prior to the taxes being payable. The bill specifies that any excess tax levy approved after July 1, 2002, must include details in the resolution regarding the duration of the levy and the total maximum dollar amount of taxes payable over its term.

Additionally, the bill changes the threshold for a petition to refer the decision to a vote from five percent of registered voters to fifty registered voters in the school district, and extends the filing period from twenty days to forty days after the first publication of the decision. It also mandates that the ballot for the excess tax levy election must clearly state the duration of the levy and the total maximum dollar amount of taxes payable. The election is to be conducted similarly to a special election, with the referendum held by October 1 of the year prior to when the taxes are payable.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 02/04/2026: 10-12-43